| Red Back Salamander | ||||||||||||||
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| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
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| Binomial nomenclature | ||||||||||||||
| Plethodon cinereus Green |
The Red Back (or Backed) Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) is a small, hardy woodland salamander. They inhabit wooded slopes and throughout most of its range it's often the most common amphibian. It is also knows as the Northern Redback Salamander to distinguish it with the Southern Redback Salamander (P. serratus).
The salamander has two distinct color variations the red back, which has a red, orange or dark brown stripe down the back, and the lead back (or grey back) which can be a uniform black or grey, or have a slightly lighter stripe down the back. Either variation (or both) may occur in any given area, along with apparent intergrades.